Rail anchor



J. c. DAYTON Q 2,491,362

RAIL ANCHOR Dec. 13, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 9, 1948 I j NVENTOR. Jena 6 fiaflm Dec. 13,1949 J. c. DAYTON 2,491,362"

RAIL ANCHOR Filed April 9, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Arraegvs v.5.

, Patented Dec. 13 1949 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of railway equipment and, more specifically, consists in an improved form of device or anchoring a steel rail so as to prevent the same from creeping along the ties :upon which the rail is laid.

Patents have been granted upon devices which are intended forthe same general purpose, as for instance the patents to Morrison, No. 805,982; Vaughan, No. 897,637; Gillrnor, No. 1,207,742;

and Gifford, No. 1,625,938.; and it is upon 'such devices thatI have devised an improvement.

One object is to provide such a device which consists of a single rigid body of metal, with all of the several parts thereof formed integrally nd which may be readily applied to or removed from the'steel rail and used .over again.

Anothernbject of my invention is to devise such a rail anchor which maybe applied to the steel rail with effective binding engagement and without the danger of any parts getting out of order or requiring replacement.

Another object is to devise such a rail anchor that can be manufactured at :a comparatively low cost and that will have a long life oi usefulness.

Other objects will appear from the following description and-claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. l .is a rear elevation of my present device applied to a :steel rail;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof,.showing steps in applying same;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the .right hand endof the device in assembly;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the left-hand end of the same; and

Fig. .5 is a front elevation of the device .alone.

It is to be understood that the .present Iform of disclosure is merely for the purpose of illustration and that there might be various modifications thereof withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention .as herein set 'forth and claimed.

The bottom part .of the device has greater forwardextent at the one end than at the other, that is at the right end as viewed in Figs. .1 and 2 of the present form of illustration; and its upper surface, which is intended to engage beneath the base :flange-of-a conventional steel rail .R, extends in .a substantial-1y.liorizontal plane. This .device may be made of a single body of metal, as .for instance a iorging, and is of rigid form throughout.

At the more "narrow 01' .left end of the device, as viewedrin-Eigs. .l and not thepresent-drawings,

there "an upstanding portion v2 "which has an inwardly extending over-hanging portion 3 to formiargroove d. At the wider .or right end of the device, the upstanding portion 5 has aninwardly extending over-hangingpor-tion 5 at only the rear part thereof so as to .form a groove '5', while the forward par-t 5a of this upstanding portion is of plain form and substantially flush with the inner edge of the .rear over-hanging portion 5. The bottoms of the grooves s and 1' .may be substantially parallel with each other and are :spaced apart a distance corresponding substantially with thatbetween theiopposite edges of the base flange of the conventionalsteelrail R.

At the front side of the device and .in only the region of the greater forward extent thereof, that is the right end as viewed .inEigs. ,1 .and .2 hereof, there is provided a substantially vertical depending abutment .5 which is adapted tohave engagement with the rear .side of the railroad tie to which .the steel rail. :is attached. The front .face .of this abutment .8 extends in .a plane which is substantially normal to the bottoms of the grooves t and H, assuming that the steel rail is .laid at a .rightangle upon the .ties whichsupport theeame.

. These .par'tsare so designed that, when the .face of the abutment is in full engagement with the .rear side of the tie T, there will remain clearance .between the other .or left end .of the anchoring device (Figs. .1 and 2),.and the rear side of the tie, thereby ensuring most effective .and dependable'binding engagement of the anchoring device with the .steel rail B.

As will bexobserved, the .bottom .of my device is provided with integral means of r.einiorcement,.as

.f.or instance the webs Ba for the abutment 8 and the ribs to along the bottom i; and the ribs ta also extend upwardly at the left end of the device asindicated at M.

After the rails have .beenllaid upon the -ties, my device may be applied .to the rails just to the rear of the ties .so as to prevent-weeping .ofthe r.ails forwardly .as might otherwise occur due to the forward motion .of the rolling stock thereupon, as will .be understoodby those who are .familiar with this art. Inapplying myde-vice, it is placed .beneath the rail R with the bottom extending at substantially right angle to the steel rail and in such manner as to effect engagement of the groove 4 with the .one edge -.of the base flange of the steel rail; and the other or wider end-of the device will be raised up against the under-side of the rail so as to bring the plain lportion ea alongside the other edge of the base flange of the steel rail, there being sufiicient clearance for this purpose' During procedure, the extreme right front corner at the wider end of the device, Figs. 1 and 2, will be held in engagement with the rear wall of the tie T and the front face of the abutment 8 will extend rearwardly to the left and at an angle to the rear side of the tie. Then, with the device in such position, the next step is to tap the rear side of the more narrow or left end of the device (Figs. 1 and 2), so as to turn the device in a horizontal plane and to bring the front face of the abutment 8 into full engagement with the rear side of the tie and to effect binding engagement of the front part of groove 4 and the rear groove 1 with the opposite edges of the base flange of the rail R. As will be observed, this opposite engagement is at two points which are forward and rearward of each other, with the result that there is obtained most effective binding engagement; and such manner of engagement is ensured by reason of the fact that the front face at the left end of the device (Figs. 1 and 2) will not come into engagement with the rear side of the tie T but rather there will be preserved a suitable clearance, as above noted.

With this device applied in this manner to the steel rail, any tendency of the rail to creep as the rolling stock moves forwardly over the steel rail, will cause the anchoring device to be drawn in binding engagement with the rail up against the rear side of the tie and thus there will not be permitted any forward movement of the rail R along the ties T.

The binding engagement between the anchor and the rail comprises not only that due directly to the straight-line engagement of the rail forwardly within the grooves t and l after the de vice is in operative position, but also that due to the fact that the forward force upon the rail caused by the forward movement of the rolling stock, will in turn tend to cause the anchor to be turned in a horizontal plane so as to produce an even more effective and dependable binding engagement of the edges of the rail flange within the grooves 4 and 1. a

When it may be desired to remove this device,

as for instance in case of replacing a rail, this may be readily accomplished by merely tapping rearwardly the front side of the left end of the device (Figs. 1 and 2), whereupon the binding engagement of the grooved portions t and I may be disengaged and the device may be readily removed in the reverse manner from that of pla"- ingit in position originally. The upwardly extending reinforcing flanges 2d at the left end of the device (Figs. 1 and 2), are intended to permit such tapping without danger of injury to the device itself.

Thus I have produced a device which may be made of a single body of metal and of rigid form throughout, with convenient and dependable means for effecting binding engagement with the steel rail, with nothing to get out of order, which will last indefinitely and which can be easily removed and used over and over again.

Another practical advantage resides in the fact that my present one-piece rigid form of anchor and the manner in which it operates, permits the same to be used with equal effectiveness upon either new rails or upon old and worn rails.

Also, by virtue of the comparatively large front surface area of the abutment or tie face 3 of my present form of rail anchor, there is caused considerably less frictional wearing engagement of the anchor upon the tie than would otherwise be the case and hence such damage to the tie is kept down to a minimum.

Lil

Other advantages will suggest themselves to those who are familiar with the art to which this invention relates.

What I claim is:

1. A rail anchor comprising a unitary body adapted for engagement beneath the base flange of a conventional steel rail and having upstanding portions oppositely disposed with respect to each other, one of said upstanding portions having an inwardly extending over-hanging portion at the forward part thereof so as to form a groove, the other of said upstanding portions having an inwardly extending overhanging portion at the rear part thereof so as to form a groove, the bottoms of said grooves being substantially parallel with each other and being spaced from each other substantially the distance between the opposite edges of the base flange of a steel rail, the forward side of said body having a depending abutment located at the end thereof correspondin to said other upstanding port on and having: its front face extendin sit-.bstan lly normal to the direction of the bottoms of grooves and in a plane forwardly of the front surface of said other end of said body, said portions and abutment being so constructed and arranged that the first-named groove may be applied to the corresponding flange edge of the steel rail while applying said body to the bottom thereof, and the said body then turned in a horizontal plane so as to bring both of said grooves into binding engagernent with the opposite edges of the base flange of the steel rail and at the same time bring said abutment fully into effective engagement with the rear of a railway tie While leaving clearance between the other end of said b d; and the rear Wall of the tie, thereby ensuring effective binding engagement of said grooves with the steel rail to prevent creeping of the same.

2.1%. rail anchor comprising a unitary body adapted for engagement beneath the base flange of a conventional steel rail and having integral upstanding portions oppositely disposed with respect to each other, one of said upstanding portions having an inwardly extending over-hanging portion so as to form a groove, the other of said upstanding portions having an inwardly extending over-hanging portion at only the rear part thereof so as to form a groove, the bottom of the forward part of the first-mentioned groove and the bottom of the secondmientioned groove being substantially parallel with each other and being spaced from each other substantially the distance between the opposite edges of the base flange of the steel rail, the forward inner part of said other upstanding portion being of plain form substantially flush with the inner edge of the second-mentioned over-hanging portion, the forward side of said body having a depending abutment located at only the end thereof corresponding to said other upstanding portion and having its front face extending substantially normal to the direction of the bottoms of said grooves and in a plane forward of the front surface of the other end of said body, said portions and abutment being so constructed and arranged that the rst-nanled groove may be applied to the corresponding flange edge of the steel rail while applying said body to the bottom thereof and causing the plain forward part of said other upstanding portion to be elevated along-side of the corresponding edge of the base flange of the steel rail, and so that said body may then be turned in a horizontal plane to bring the forward part of said first-mentioned groove and the said 3. A rail anchor comprising a one-piece rigid body having a substantially horizontal bottom surface adapted for engagement beneath the base flange of a conventional steel rail and having integral upstanding portions at the two ends thereof, one of said upstanding portions having an integral inwardly extending over-hanging portion so as to form a groove, the other of said upstanding portions having an integral inwardly extending over-hanging portion at only the rear part thereof so as to form a groove, the bottom surface of said body having greater forward extent in the region of said other upstanding portion, the bottom of the forward part of said firs mentioned groove and the bottom of said secondmentioned groove being substantially parallel with each other and being spaced from each other substantially the distance between the opposite edges of the base flange of the steel rail, the forward inner part of said other upstanding portion being of plain form substantially flush with the inner edge of the second-mentioned overhanging portion, the forward side of said body having a depending integral abutment located. at the end thereof corresponding to the greater forward extent of said body and having its front face extending substantially normal to the di rection of the bottoms of said grmves and in a plane forward of the front surface of the other end of said body, said portions and abutment b ing so constructed and arranged that the firstnamed groove may be applied to the corresponding flange edge of the steel rail while applying the bottom of said body to the bottom of the rail and causing the plain forward part of said other upstanding portion to be elevated alongside of the corresponding edge of the base flange of the steel rail, and so that said body may be turned in a horizontal plane to bring the forward part of said first-mentioned groove and said secondmentioned groove into binding engagement with j the opposite edges of the base flange of the steel rail and at the same time bring said abutment into operative relation with respect to the rear of the railroad tie, while preserving suitable clear-- ance between the rear face of the tie and the other end of said body, thereby ensuring effective binding engagement of said grooves with the steel rail to prevent creeping of the same.

4. A rail anchor comprising a one-piece rigid body having a substantially horizontal bottom surface adapted for engagement beneath the base flange of a conventional steel rail and having integral upstanding portions at the two ends thereof, one of said upstanding portions having an integral inwardly extending over-hanging portion so as to form a groove, the other of said upstanding portions having an integral inwardly extending over-hanging portion at only the rear part thereof so as to form a groove, the bottom surface of said body having greater forward extent in the region of said other upstanding portion, the bottom of the forward part of said first-mentioned groove and the bottom of said secondmentioned groove being substantially parallel with each other and being spaced from each other substantially the distance between the opposite edges of the base flange of the steel rail, the forward inner part of the said other upstanding portion being of plain form substantially flush with the inner edge of the second-mentioned over-hanging portion, the forward side of said body having an integral depending abutment located at the end thereof corresponding to the greater forward extent of said body and having its front face extending substantially normal to the direction of the bottoms of said grooves and in a plane forward of the front surface of the other end of said body, an integral reinforcing web between the underside of said horizontal bottom surface and the rear of said abutment, and integral longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs beneath the edges of said horizontal bottom surface and continuing upwardly along the end of said one upstanding portion, said portions and abutment being so constructed and arranged that the first-named groove may be applied to the corresponding flange edge of the steel rail while applying the bottom of said body to the bottom of the steel rail and causing the plain forward part of said other upstanding portion to be elevated alongside of the corresponding edge of the base flange of the steel rail, and so that said body may be turned in a horizontal plane to bring the forward part of said first-mentioned groove and said second-mentioned groove into binding engagement with the opposite edges of said base flange of the steel rail and at the same time bring said abutment into effective operative relation with respect to the rear of the railroad tie, while preserving suitable clearance between the rear face of the tie and the other end of said body, thereby ensuring effective binding engagement of said grooves with the steel rail to prevent creeping of the same.

JESSE C. DAYTON.

No references cited. 

